Regional Analyst, Abidjan

Job Title : Regional Analyst - Abidjan, Côte D Ivoire

ID : 24945

Location : ABIDJAN

Date of issue : 12/06/2024

Close Date : (Midnight, Rome Time) 01/05/2025

Organizational Unit : West & Central Africa Div.

Full/Part Time : Full-Time

Regular/Temporary : Regular

Assignment Duration : 2 Years

Grade : P-2

Organizational Setting

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) is an international financial institution and a specialized United Nations agency dedicated to eradicating rural poverty and hunger. It does so by investing in rural people. IFAD finances programmes and projects that increase agricultural productivity and raise rural incomes, and advocates at the local, national and international level for policies that contribute to rural transformation.

The Department for Country Operations (DCO) oversees the origination, design and management of IFAD investments, including sovereign and non-sovereign operations, as well as the design and implementation of non-lending activities within country programmes, including policy engagement and SSTC. DCO is the department that primarily interfaces with governments, the private sector and other stakeholders to deliver IFAD's programme of work and to provide oversight to ensure quality of the portfolio.

DCO is led by an Associate Vice-President and is composed of five (5) regional divisions: Asia and the Pacific Division ( APR ), East and Southern Africa Division ( ESA ), Latin America and Caribbean Division ( LAC ), Near East, North Africa and Europe Division ( NEN ) and West and Central Africa Division ( WCA ), the Private Sector Operations Division (PSD), and two (2) units: the South-South and Triangular Cooperation Unit (SSTC) and the fragility unit (FRU).

The Regional Division WCA is led by a Divisional Director, based in the IFAD Regional Office in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire. The Division leads on the design and delivery of IFAD country and regional programmes in WCA. The precise country coverage of the division varies across replenishment periods.

Job Role

The Regional Analyst provides analytical and technical support, as well as creative data management solutions required for effective program management in the region. The incumbent provides targeted support to the documentation of lessons learned, monitoring and results reporting activities, development and dissemination of knowledge products and organization of learning events required for Knowledge Management (KM) and portfolio management in the region, as well as for knowledge sharing outside the region. As a member of the Regional Team, the incumbent also liaises closely with country teams on Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E), Knowledge Management (KM) and policy analysis to enhance the standardized generation and dissemination of programme knowledge and supports regional strategic partnership and policy agendas in the region, based on best practices. In particular, the incumbent focuses on implementation support to project teams on the regional risk and M&E agendas.

Key Functions and Results

1.ANALYTICAL SUPPORT AND DATA MANAGEMENT: The Regional Analyst collates and analyses data to support the economic and financial status of project design reports. The incumbent is responsible for data analysis of country assessment reports for divisional programme/project activities in the region. The incumbent provides analytical inputs to corporate regional reports and documents and develops alternative and creative solutions for effective data management in the Division. The incumbent participates in project cycle activities and meetings, such as Project Delivery Teams and quality review meetings, as required.

2. MONITORING AND EVALUATION AND SYSTEMATIZATION SUPPORT: The Regional Analyst works in close collaboration with the regional team to support the monitoring and results reporting activities required for Knowledge Management (KM) and portfolio management in the region, including responsibilities for ensuring compliance with procedures, knowledge management and results reporting of the regional grants programme. The incumbent reviews, and analyses data derived from project performance reports, and provides input to the Lead Portfolio Advisor or Lead Regional Economist on rigorous results measurement analysis and to the Regional Specialist to support development of knowledge products and documentation of lessons learned in order to reinforce M&E capabilities of PMU's across the country portfolios in the Division. The Regional Analyst supports the effectiveness of knowledge sharing activities in the region by data collection and analysis and systematization required for portfolio management The incumbent simultaneously interacts closely with other regional division teams and keeps abreast of all relevant corporate changes and reforms having an impact on data management tools and categorization. The incumbent assists in formulating position papers, briefs, analyses and short papers on related subjects for the Director in collaboration with the Regional Specialist.

3. REGIONAL OR COUNTRY PROGRAMME SUPPORT: The Regional Analyst drafts regular and periodic reports on project, country programme or thematic issues, including lessons learned from design and implementation support experiences. The incumbent will support country teams in select operational matters and cross-cutting themes through participation in field missions as determined by the Regional Team based on demand and regional priorities. The incumbent will also support the Regional Team through the identification of potential partners, development initiatives and best practices and maintains counterpart contacts needed to promote programme, partnership as well as implementation support.

4. POLICY ANALYSIS SUPPORT: As a member of the Regional Team, the Regional Analyst participates in select policy meetings and events of priority interest to the region, analyses policy implications and identifies opportunities for innovations and knowledge sharing. The incumbent reviews programme evaluation reports, aggregates results and shares knowledge on best operational practices in collaboration with the Regional Team to improve project designs and effective delivery of programmes in the region. The incumbent contributes to the development of knowledge management products and organization of learning events on emerging issues, themes and innovations of particular relevance for the region in close collaboration with the Regional Specialist and relevant country teams.

5. MANAGERIAL FUNCTIONS: The Regional Analyst performs a coordinating role in the front office, working closely with divisional and programme staff, including Programme Liaison Associates, to ensure maximum efficiency and systematization of programme processes in adherence to corporate requirements. The incumbent is accountable for integrity, transparency, and equity in the management of IFAD resources.

Key Performance Indicators

Compliance of operations with IFAD rules, regulations and policies, implementation of corporate operational policies and approaches, establishment of project management assessment tools and up-to-date information and learning tools. Assignment requires the provision of solid technical expertise and input for the area of her/his responsibility, as well as, in knowledge sharing with peers and counterparts. The work involves technical analysis and synthesis of data, technical inputs for systematization required for portfolio reviews, knowledge products, and effective tools for the assessment of regional portfolio performance evaluation. The work requires in-depth technical analysis and reporting.

The outputs that will be required from the incumbent include, but are not limited to, analytic regional portfolio performance and review reports, country and regional economic trends in respect to M&E, data analysis, KM systems for rural transformation, case studies, lessons and best practice notes.

Working Relationships

In the context of programme development and delivery, the Regional Analyst ensures the generation and dissemination of targeted knowledge, as well as, other relevant technical information to internal and regional staff. The Regional Analyst works closely and collaboratively with the Regional Specialist and staff of the regional division and Departmental staff, and with other IFAD divisions, to ensure thorough data analysis and systematization, quality documentation and dissemination of knowledge products in support of knowledge sharing, and consistent and cohesive programme development activities in the region.

The incumbent is supporting quality assurance in respect to M&E and closely collaborates with M&E Specialists in the Office of Development Effectiveness (ODE) and the Independent Office of Evaluation (IOE) by strengthening the quality of PCRs, CSPEs and other related evaluation products.

Job Profile Requirements

Organizational Competencies:

• Building relationships and partnerships - Builds and maintains effective working relationships
• Communicating and negotiating - Communicates effectively; creates understanding between self and others
• Demonstrating leadership - Personal leadership and attitude to change
• Focusing on clients - Focuses on clients
• Learning, sharing knowledge and innovating - Continuously seeks to learn, shares knowledge & innovates
• Managing performance and developing staff
• Managing time, resources and information - Manages own time, information and resources effectively
• Problem-solving and decision-making - Demonstrates sound problem-solving and decision-making ability
• Strategic thinking and organizational development - Personal influence
• Team working - Contributes effectively to the team

Education:

• Education includes Advanced university degree from an accredited institution listed on https://whed.net/home.php in economics, business administration, management, social policy research and analysis, rural development, agriculture, agricultural economics, rural finance, development policy or related disciplines is required (*):

(*) Note: For internal candidates, this requirement will be assessed in line with the provisions set forth in IFAD's Human Resources Implementing Procedures.

Experience:

• At least two (2) years of progressively relevant experience is required. egMUR7J PHMNB
• Experience in a role providing data management, data science and analytical support within an international financial institution, development cooperation agencies and/or the United Nations system is highly desirable. In addition, qualifying experience in drafting analytical documents, producing reports on tight deadlines would be an asset.
• Experience in responsible and ethical use of big data, machine learning and artificial intelligence; secure management of large datasets and drawing insights and analytics from various data sources is desirable

Languages:

• Required: English and French (4 - Excellent)
• Desirable: Spanish or Arabic

Skills:

• Economic evaluation: Know-how relevant to specific role in Evaluation roles (e.g. Monitoring and managing evaluation processes and methodologies, carrying out Programme/Project evaluation, Impact evaluation, Corporate-level evaluation)
• IFAD partners: Knowledge of IFAD's partners' functioning and mandate, such as the public sector (e.g. governments and policy, institutions and system), non-state actors (NGOs, CSOs, Foundations, etc.) and private sector actors
• Data management: Data collection, cleaning, transformation and consolidation; data-base architecture & development; data presentation
• Time management: Adherence to deadlines under time constraints and pressure (e.g. to deliver governing body documents on time); ability to coordinate and manage complex workflows and in-house and external teams
• Project/Programme management: Identification of key-priorities, ability to structure work to meet deadlines and adjustment of workplan/resource allocation when needed programme management: overall management of portfolio of work (including PMO interaction) with expertise to identify dependencies or bottlenecks between projects, managing changes and risks
• Initiative and good judgment: High sense of proactive initiative-taking and good judgement (including on security matters)
• Interpersonal skills: Ability to deal patiently and tactfully with others (e.g. visitors, clients, callers, etc.), including senior individuals (e.g. high-level meeting participants)
• Verbal communication: Clear, succinct and convincing verbal communication; highly professional, balanced and diplomatic language
• Written communication: Clear, succinct and convincing written communication in the language needed for specific role; highly professional, balanced and diplomatic language (e.g. for drafting of position papers, briefings, etc.)
• Topical expertise - Programme Management for Agricultural Development: Expertise relevant to the specific role (e.g. For ethics office assistant, procedures outlined in the Code of Conduct, Discipline and Anti-harassment provisions of applicable rules and guidelines)

Other Information

IFAD staff members are international civil servants subject to the authority of the President of IFAD. In accordance with IFAD's Human Resources Policy, the President can decide to assign them to any of the activities of the Fund. All International Professional staff members are required to be geographically mobile and positions in the professional category are subject to changes in location at any time in line with strategic priorities and reform initiatives in IFAD.

IFAD is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of ethnic, social or political background, colour, nationality, religion, age, gender, disability, marital status, family size or sexual orientation in line with its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Strategy and the Policy to prevent and respond to sexual harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse .

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In accordance with IFAD's provisions, all new staff members will normally be placed at the first step in the grade level for which they have been selected. For information on IFAD's remuneration package, please visit IFAD's compensation and benefits page on our website. Applicants are invited to use the ICSC compensation calculator to estimate the salary and benefit entitlements.

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In the interest of making most cost effective use of funds and resources, we are only able to respond to applicants who are short-listed for interview. Candidates who do not receive any feedback within three months should consider their application unsuccessful.